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Fresh

The Tomatometer is 60% or higher.

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The Tomatometer is 59% or lower.

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Movies and TV shows are Certified Fresh with a steady Tomatometer of 75% or higher after a set amount of reviews (80 for wide-release movies, 40 for limited-release movies, 20 for TV shows), including 5 reviews from Top Critics.

Jim Henson demonstrates him and his team could create complex puppets the likes of The Muppets could only dream. Henson builds wildly creative and superbly detailed puppets for his main characters and side characters in this all puppet made movie. Henson was clearly a fantasy visionary, crafting wondrous tales of magic and otherworldly locations. The Dark Crystal holds up on the merits of its dark atmosphere, imaginative puppetry, unique world and lore building, thoughtful storytelling, and loving natural romance.

The Dark Crystal does not exactly compare to Henson's later masterpiece Labyrinth, but The Dark Crystal will keep you guessing. Twists and turns with deadly situations will thrill children of all ages, while thoroughly delighting their parents. I highly recommend The Dark Crystal for an afternoon or nighttime watch with the family. It's a blast with fantastic sets, props, and puppets.

Trevor Jones' music sets the tone for terror and magical enchantments for The Dark Crystal. I think he improved a lot as a composer by the time Labyrinth comes around, but for 1982, this score is amazing and quite lovingly composed for this charming little fantasy film.

This exact version is the one you'll want to buy. It's the newest remastered Blu-ray edition. They really restored the images to bright and clear quality. The Dark Crystal has never looked so good. Included in this very set is a booklet attached to the inner sleeve with details and pictures of the making of The Dark Crystal. There are notes, sketches, and illustrations of the characters, vistas, and story lines that Jim Henson and crew went through. It's all quite neat to behold. The film not only looks spectacular, but the special features include more of the making of if you are interested in that kind of extra material.

All in all, this Blu-ray is the one you want. There's also the 4K edition if you want even better image quality. I got the regular Blu-ray version and I couldn't be happier with it. Even though Jim Henson and company improved their puppetry, realism, and acting by the time they made Labyrinth in 1986, The Dark Crystal holds up on its own merits as a successful experiment in puppetry and creative children's film-making. I think most families and even adults would appreciate all the love and care put into this highly imaginative tale.

Jim Henson worked the magic he learned from the Muppets into the distinctive creatures and sets of this movie. Both kids and adults should see it together. It is dark as it is light. It is as beautiful as it is repulsive. The entertainment factor reaches both sides of the spectrum without much faltering in its nature. From this film come the wonders that were achieved technically and spiritually.

"The Dark Crystal" has two haters for every fan, but I have always enjoyed this movie. I think it's because it's something different than what we are used to seeing from the late Jim Henson. As is usually the case with Henson and his colleagues such as Frank Oz, the puppetry is terrific and the production design is quite good. However it is in my opinion rather easy to see why there are people who do not care for this movie. The evil Skeksis are more loud and annoying than menacing. There were times during the movie where I was irritated by them rather than scared. As other critics have pointed out there is an echo of The Lord of the Rings in this film as well which is a liability. However despite these flaws I think the movie is very entertaining and there is enough to like about "The Dark Crystal" to make it worth your time.

The Skeksis sure are an ugly bunch of creatures. Great puppet ideas and movements. The only one that could use some work is Jen, the Gelfing. His mouth and face puppetry is kind of off, compared to the other ones. It's so weird because there's a kid walking around as Jen but then wears this off putting mask that almost looks human.

I hate the way the Skeksis live. All they worry about is power, who's in control, and they solve their problems through violence. As oppose to the Mystics who live their lives like Jedi's, which I love and much prefer. These guys did a terrific job at creating a new world and such a diverse one with all matter of interesting creatures.

That part when the Gelfings are in the boat was beautiful, so peaceful and bliss. I can see how Star Wars might have influence on this movie. Watching the podling get his essence drained from him was pretty horrifying to watch. My god, when the two races meet and join one another, that was such a beautiful sight. So mystical and spiritual.

It is a beautiful movie. The puppetry is really impressive, and it's a creative story. I think Jim Henson bit off more than he could chew when he decided to make this movie because of the restrictions of puppets from the 80's. The plot just didn't make any sense. I feel like there wasn't enough backstory. I also wouldn't suggest letting kids watch this since the main character is terrifying.

Directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, this is a darker film than you would expect from Henson but an entirely puppet based production. The Dark Crystal is about Jen, a Gelfling boy, who sets out to find the crystal shard and repair the Dark Crystal, restoring balance to the universe. The voice acting in the film is quite good. Joseph O'Conor's narration is a great introduction to the film and really helps to set the tone. Stephen Garlick is good as the voice of Jen and Lisa Maxwell is particularly strong as Kira, who is one of the best characters in the film. This brings me to one of the problems with the film, which is that the main protagonist, Jen, is the least interesting character in the story. Rather than actively advancing the plot, most of the events just happen to him and instead it's Kira who takes charge in most of these scenes and has a better character arc. The plot as a whole is quite interesting and fits well into the high fantasy genre. However it's a little unclear who the intended audience is for this film as some of the outlandish characters and cartoonish voices seem suitable for children but there are a lot of darker and more gruesome elements that would be frightening for children and possibly not suitable for their viewing. There are also a few issues with pacing throughout the film, particularly in the middle, with some very long scenes that add little to the plot or the characters' developments. The puppets of course are the films strongest point. All of the main characters are so well designed, articulated and wonderfully fantastical that it is a joy to behold. There are a few scenes when the Gelflings move very stiffly, such as when they're riding the landstriders, but for the most part they move quite seamlessly. The sets are also fantastic and the lighting, cinematography and music really helps to bring the world of The Dark Crystal to life. Although this may not have been Jim Henson's greatest work, it was a huge accomplishment in puppetry and is an engrossing trip into an extraordinarily imaginative world that I personally loved to visit.

I love this movie, flaws, cliches and all. The puppetry is excellent; the visuals are dark and striking, with a story just a dark and epic to match; the world is interesting and it is certainly unique amongst fantasy films. I would recommend it, especially considering the upcoming netflix series.

Another of those "had to have watched it as a kid to fully appreciate it" films. Sure, some great puppetry, but the film's nowhere near as good as the Muppets or Labyrinth. Very tired plot, heaps of gibberish and shouting (especially from the vulture-things) and all too cliched, with no real humour/wit/fun.